Air cleaner



Oct. 6, 1942. R, w, BAILY 2,297,934

AIR CLEANE R Filed Nov. l2, 1940 Patented ct. 6, 1942 Application November 12, 1940, Serial No..365,310

`1 Claim. (c1. 1s315)` My invention comprises a new and useful improvement in oil-impregnatedlters for cleaning the air supplied to the air-intakes of internal combustion motors, gas compressors, and other apparatus.

Heretofore such filters have been arranged for operation only in normal upright positions. They depend upon a continuous supply of oil for impregn'ation of the filtering fibers. If operated in any but the desi-:ed upright position, the oil` escapes from the container and lthereafter oil is no longer supplied to the fibers or other filter materials, and consequently dust and dirt are drawn into the working parts ofthe motor or compressor and quickly injure or destroy those parts by -grinding and abrasion. e, f l

My invention comprises a srtucture of the oil container, such that no matterwhat position the filter may assume, the oil cannot escape, and when the filter is restoredy to normal position, it continues to perform its designed function -of cleaning the intake air of dust and other foreign particles. Y i

'I'he motors or other apparatus with which such devices are used arelassumed by the maker of those motors to be operated always in an upright position, but I have found thatwespecially when such motors are used as prime movers for small portable pumps', concrete vibrators, and the like,

the motors or other apparatus are frequently tilted or upset until they assume positions on their sides, or even upside down, i. e., may be accidentally tipped over, for short intervals, and when such situations arise, the oil escapes from the conventional type of filter and when the apparatus is re-established in its normal upright position, the filters l-ack the oil necessary to continue to supply the filter material and the result is aA prompt injury or destruction of the working parts of the apparatus due to abrasive materials such as dust being drawn into the working parts.

With these and other objects in view, my invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of my device whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claim and illustrated in the accompanving drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view of one form of my apparatus, on line I-I of Figure 2.

Figure 2 is a horizontal cross-section taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional lview similar to that of Figure 1, in which the apparatus has assumed a horizontal position, turned on its side.

`I provide the air-passage I2 Figure 4 is al sectional view taken on the -line` 4-4 of Figure 3, illustrating part of the apparatus. Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of another form of my apparatus, in which the vertical yaxis,

has been revolved approximately degrees from the normal upright position.`

In the figures, similar parts are shownr carrying identical reference numbers.

In Figure 1 the air cleaner is mounted on the air-intake tubev I of a motor or compressor. 'I'he filter has the oil cup A having the lower wall 3, the outer cylindrical vertical wall 4, having at its upper edge the horizontal `outwardly extending secondary bottom wall 5, from the outer edge of which the secondary vertical cylindrical wall 6 extends upwardly and terminates in the upper cover wall l, terminating in the upturned inner edge I 3 and providing the central annular opening 8. v

Extending upwardly, in line with the bore 9 of the intake tube I, I provide the tubular member I0 extending through the cup which projects upwardly to its top I I above the level of the top wall l of cup A. Immediately below the top II in the wall of the tube I0. The top II of the tube I0 is sealed by the cover B which flares laterally and downwardly beyond the pipe I0 and has the peripheral skirt I4. The lower edge of the `skirt I4 isspaced out- I wardly from the edge I3 of cover wall l, and' is above the main part of the cover wall 1, thus providing the circumferential air-passage I5, above the cover wall 1.

Surrounding the tubular member III I provide the filter cartridge C having the inner-tubular member Il tightly engaging the tubular member I0, and the spaced 'outer tubular member I9. The cartridge members Il and I9 are connected by spaced upper and lower spiders` I8. Into the space 20 between the tubular members Il and I9, and between the upper and lower struts IB, I pack a suitable fibrous or other filter material2l.

A lug 2 on tube I 0 may be provided to limit downward movement of cartridge C on tube- II).`

The lower wall 3, the vertical wall 4 and the tube I0 form the container chamber 22, and the Wall 5 combined with the vertical wall 6 and the tube I0 form a continuation of chamber 22 into upper chamber 23.

The wall I9 of cartridge- C extends above wall Il to cover B and extends below wall I1, but terminates above wall 5 of cup A.

Cover B may be held in assembled position is prevented by the upper wall l.

on tube I and cup A by any suitable means. not shown.

Chambers 22 and 23 are filled with suitable `oil or other moistening fluid 24 up to a level 26 higher than the lower end 25 of the cartridge tube i9, but below the level of the filter material 2|.

Operation With the motor in operation, air for combustion is drawn through the opening I 5, down through the annular passage 8, thence down through the oil or fluid 24, around the lower end 25 of the tube I9, thence vertically upward through the filter material 2l and through the openings i2 in the upper wall of the tube I0, thence down through tube I0 and through air intake tube l to the carburetor of the motor, as indicated by the arrows 21. Air passing through fluid 24 draws some of the fluid 24 up into the filter material 2|, enabling that material to catch and hold dust and other foreign matter and to restrain such dust and other foreign matter from passing through to the openings I2.

In Figure 3 I show the apparatus of Figure 1 when the vertical axis of the apparatus has been revolved approximately 90 degrees from the vertical, as though the motor were lying on its side. In this position, the iiuid 24 now occupies the position 24-a, entirely in the chamber 23. Escape of the fluid 24-a from the chamber 23 When the motor is righted to normal upright position, the fluid 24-a flows back to its original position at 24, and the apparatus resumes its normal functions.

It is obvious that in the absence of the wall 1, the oil would escape from the cleaner, should the motor be tipped to lie on its side.

In Figure 4 I show a vertical sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3, but in the position assumed by the apparatus at Figure 3. The fluid 24-a is restrained by the wall 6, and by the walls 5 and 'l of Figure 3.

In Figure I show another arrangement of my apparatus in which the wall la, corresponding to wall 1, has at its upper edge the tubular wall 29 extending toward the bottom wall 5 but terminating at the lower edge 30 at a greater distance, if desired, from the wall 5 than the edge 25 of tube i9. In Figure 5 I show the apparatus in a position where the normal vertical axis has been revolved about 135 degrees from the vertical, to an inverted position. The fluid 24-b formerly occupying the chambers 22 and 55 23 has now flowed entirely into chamber 23 and is restrained from escaping from chamber 23 by the wall 6, the upper wall 'I-a and the inner annular wall 29. Figure 5 indicates a position of the motor in which the motor is approximately upside down, and I may select a series of dimensions for the wall 29 which will enable the chamber 23 to contain all of the iiuid 24 formerly occupying chambers 22 and 23 of Figure 1. Upon the motor' being righted to normal upright position, the fluid 24-b will return to its initial position at 24. With this form of device, the oil will not spill out even if the motor is turned upside down.

The cover I3 may be separable from the tube l0 to permit the removal of the cartridge, and to permit the renewal of the uid 24. Likewise, the tubular member 29 may be separable from the wall 'l to provide for removal and renewal of the fluid 24.

My invention prevents the uid 24 from escaping from the apparatus regardless of any abnormal position that may be assumed by the motor or prime mover.

I intend to cover by my claim any changes in structure or material which are withinr their scope and my invention.

I claim:

In cleaner apparatus of the kind described, for removing entrained particles from a gas, a duct for conveying the gas, a first container operatively associated with said duct, adapted to hold a viscous fluid, a second container operatively associated with said duct, filtering material in said second container, said second container being arranged in the first container to providea passageway for gas below said filtering material, the lower end of said second container when in normal operating position being positioned to be partially immersed inthe fluid in the rst container, said apparatus having a passageway for gas at the upper portion of said second container communicating with said duct above the normal surface of said iiuid, said duct being otherwise closed against admission of gas,L said .first container being so arranged that gas entering said duct through said second container initially enters said first container and passes through said iiuid, thence' through said second container to said duct, said first container having a conserving chamber formed with a top and an inner downturned wall of such extent that when the apparatus assumes any position other than normal, said chamber receives andconserves said fluid, and when said apparatus is restored to normal position, said fluid returns to its original positionpartially immersing said lower end of said second container,

ROBERT WILLIAM BAILY. 

